Genuine question, how does one get by on $13 an hour? The receptionist at our main hub starts on about $24 (NZ's minimum wage is $21.20). I totally get you with that realization - when I got my first job in retail I saw the salary, 40k my lawd what an amount! Then proceeded to struggle and grind just to keep on top of everything. But at the time I thought I was a made man. When I'm hiring someone, I tend to focus on the interview and only take the length of time at an organization into account, if something feels off. My generation and younger seem to stay at places for shorter stints (best way to get better pay is to leave) so a year here, a year there? Doesn't ring any alarm bells for me. Get experience and training if you can and keep an eye out for something more suitable!